Exploring sexual attitudes in nursing students administering the DSFI scale

AIM To investigate nursing students’ sexual attitudes. MATERIAL-METHOD Participants comprised 127 first year and senior nursing students, at the Nursing Department, TEI Larisa. For the purpose of the study, the DSFI sexual attitudes subscale (Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory-Αttitude subscale) was used in order to evaluate a range of sexual behaviours. The scale constitutes a reliable and valid instrument widely used for sexual attitudes measurement, which has been validated in the Greek language. RESULTS Based on their overall attitude scale score, students were classified in three groups with the group expressing liberal sexual attitudes having significantly fewer participants (x2=34.693, P<0.001). Students’ as well as their mothers’ good relation with religion appears to be associated with less liberal sexual attitudes (P<0.05). When mothers are the main source of influence on students sexual behaviour, they tend to express significantly (P<0.05) more conservative sexual attitudes (mean=5.50±11.48) while in conjunction with media’s influence it leads to liberalism (mean=19.36±12.70). CONCLUSIONS Since negative attitudes could potentially influence students on their behaviour towards patients’ sexual problems, there is a need to devote more time during their curriculum in training on human sexuality issues.